


The Grind House

by AvengersCompound (emilyevanston)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bucky Barnes Bingo 2019, Coffee, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Games, Kissing, Mutual Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, Star Spangled Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-01-31 16:33:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18595171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyevanston/pseuds/AvengersCompound
Summary: When Bucky Barnes stops to get coffee and warm up at your coffee shop, he had just expected that caffeine might lift his mood a little.He didn’t expect to fall head-over-heels for you over a game of chess.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @buckybarnesbingo - B1, AU- Coffee Shop, @star-spangled-bingo - coffee shop au

Bucky wasn’t exactly in what he’d call a good mood.  Even for him.  Which was saying something really.   He wasn’t exactly sure what it was that had put him in that mood either.  He just sort of woke up surly and everything was just annoying him.  He had been tempted to throw Clint out the window when he’d started up on a website he found that rated the Avengers on fuckability.

It had been snowing.  That might have had something to do with it.  He hated the cold and as the flakes landed on the ground he pulled his coat tighter around himself.   He had to get inside.  Maybe coffee would help?  Caffeine might make the word a little more tolerable.  At the very least coffee was hot.

He spotted a place up ahead and beelined right for it.  It wasn’t a chain.  Or at least if it was one he didn’t recognize it.  The walls on the outside were dark wood with gold inlay acting as both decoration and spelling out the words ‘The Grind House’.

The large windows of the store were all darkened so you could barely even see inside.  There was a fireplace though.  He could see the light it was giving off even from down the street.  Everything about the place appealed to him.

A bell over the door tinkled as he pushed it open and stepped inside.  It was warm and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air.  Around the store were shelves. Some contained the usual coffee shop merchandise - bags of coffee beans, decorative mugs, boxes of chocolates and French presses - while others just contained decorative knick-knacks like model ships and well-loved teddy bears, board games that had been clearly used over and over, and books.  Around the shop were tables and chairs of various sizes.  Small coffee tables surrounded by large wing back chairs.  Large round dining tables with hardwood dining chairs and a hardwood bench with barstools along it.  Each place had at least one outlet.

Bucky shrugged off his coat and hung it on the coat rack by the door.  This was somehow both warm and cozy and incredibly cool and yet was remarkably empty.  There was a couple sitting at a coffee table playing a game of cards and gazing at each other lovingly over their decks as they sipped on large mugs of coffee.  And one of the tables had five elderly women playing Clue.  Delicate teacups sitting beside them cooling.

For a moment he wondered if he might have just found his new favorite place and then you walked out from out the back.

Bucky was a practical man.  He had lived a long time.  Too fucking long if you asked him.  He’d seen a lot.  He didn’t believe in things like soulmates or love at first sight.  So he had no idea what he was feeling as he locked eyes with you.  It wasn’t lust.  Or at least, not all of it was.  That was there, under the surface.  Lust always was when there was attraction after all.  He just knew as the two of you looked at each other, that whoever you were, he wanted to get to know you more.

It was a thought that startled him.  He hadn’t felt that for anyone.  Not since… well not since he’d been taken by HYDRA that first time.  Even as he’d followed Steve around fighting NAZI’s obliviously to the fact that yes, he could, in fact, go through something worse than his first experience as a human guinea pig and German POW, women just seemed abstractly attractive.  Like a painting.  You might admire it, but that didn’t mean you wanted to date it.

“Hi, there.  What can I get you?”  You asked coming over to the counter.

Bucky looked up at the menu.  “Large Americano I guess.”  He said.

“You started typing in the order.  Like it black, huh?”  You asked.

“Like my soul.”   He said.

You laughed.  It was warm and somehow completely genuine considering you had had to have heard that before.  “With those blue eyes?  That can’t be true.”  You said.

“Truth is, it’s the only way I’ve ever had it.”  He said.  His face felt warm and for a moment he wondered if he was blushing.  That couldn’t be right though.  The Winter Soldier didn’t blush.  He couldn’t remember ever blushing.

“Really?  Do you have a lactose intolerance?  We have other kinds of milk.”

“What?”  He asked suppressing the urge to laugh.  “No.  No… I just… Haven’t I guess.  Just used to drinking black coffee from a pot.  And my friend said Americano was the closest to that in a place like this.”

“Well, they’re right.  If you ever want to try something new let me know.”  You said.  “Did you want anything else?”

Bucky had a quick glance at the pastry cabinet.  He was a sucker for sweets and it was rare he could resist one if there was something on offer.  He selected one of the chocolate mousse cakes and paid.

“Is that to go?”  You asked moving to the espresso machine.

“No, I’ll have it here.”  He said.

“Take a seat, I’ll bring it over.  And grab a book or a game if you like.  It’s kind of what we’re known for besides the coffee.”  You said as you started up the machine.

“A game?  But I don’t have anyone to play with.”  He said.

You shrugged.  “It’s pretty quiet if you don’t mind getting interrupted, I can play with you.”

Bucky went over to the wall and looked over the games.  He thought it would just be a cursory glance.  A lot of these games he didn’t recognize.  Scythe looked complicated.  Sushi Go looked silly.  And what the hell was Cards Against Humanity?  Not that it mattered, that game had a three played minimum.  He had thought he’d just look to be nice, and then wave you off saying it was okay, he could just enjoy his coffee alone.  That is what he intended to do, but as he browsed over the games, most of which he either didn’t recognize or were too complicated for one sitting, he started thinking this would be a good way to get to know you.  A really good way.  So he slid a chess board off the shelf and took it to a small table with leather wingback chairs on either side.

He set it up.  It was nothing special.  Just a cardboard board with a red and black grid and very basic standard plastic pieces.  He set it up and decided to save time he’d choose white and make his first move.  He pushed a pawn forward two spaces.

You came over with the coffee and small chocolate cake and put them on the table beside him.  “Chess, huh?  Well, I’m a little bit rusty, but I’m game.”  You moved the pawn opposite his up so they were directly next to each other.  “I keep thinking you seem familiar.  Have you come in before?”

Bucky tensed a little.  Was this why you were being nice?  That little gleam of recognition from seeing him on the news or on television?  Would the realization that he was an ex HYDRA assassin make you pull away immediately?  Or worse kick him out of the store altogether?

He huffed and moved his knight forward so it sat just behind and to the side of his pawn.  He might as well do this now though.  Off like a bandaid.  It wasn’t fair to you to force an interaction based on missing information.  “No.  You might have seen me in the news.”  He took off the leather glove he kept covering his metal hand and flexed his fingers.

Your eyes went wide and you pointed at him.  “Oh right, right.  You’re an Avengers.  You’re - you’re - Captain America’s friend. Umm… Oh… James Barnes.  Sergeant James Barnes.”

Bucky smothered a laugh and shook his head.  “Yeah, that’s me.  I prefer Bucky though.”

“Oh god, I’m sorry.  That was overboard wasn’t it?”  You said as you moved another pawn forward.

“Maybe a little.”  He teased.  “It’s okay, that’s not normally the reaction I get.”

“No?  But… you’re an Avenger.”

He assessed the board for a moment and brought the opposite pawn forward two spaces.  “Yeah, but I haven’t always been.  People don’t forget easily.”

You tapped your fingers on the table as you thought about your next move.   “That’s not fair though.  You save people.”

“I don’t blame them.  I mean… what I did was public knowledge.  It’s not… good…”  He took a sip of the coffee.  It was rich and full bodied.  Bitter but not overly so.  He hadn’t had a coffee this good in a long time.

“I see.  Still, blame yourself huh?”  You said. “Oh shit, sorry.  I’m a busy body.  You can ignore me if you like.”

He flexed his fingers and didn’t say anything for a moment.  “You probably aren’t wrong though.”

“Maybe but I’m not your therapist.  You don’t need analyzing by some stranger.”

There was a tinkling as the door opened and a small group of people came in. You moved your bishop out so it sat diagonally next to his Knight and got up and returned to the counter to serve them.

As you took their orders and started to make them Bucky sat assessing the board.  His fingers drummed on the table as he thought both about your words and his next move.  He took a bite of the mousse cake and had a real urge to moan with how good it was.  Creamy and sweet and a little tart.  He suppressed it though and just started down trying not to watch you as you laughed and chatted with the new customers.

You hadn’t been wrong.  He didn’t forgive himself.  He wasn’t sure he ever could forgive himself.  His hands were stained in blood and he thought maybe that was permanent.

He took your pawn with his and sat back drinking his coffee and eating his cake.  When you had finished with the other customers you came back over.  “Oh taking a piece while I’m not looking.  Harsh.”  You teased.

“Sorry.  It was just the best move.”  He said.

“That’s okay.”  You said moving your bishop to take his knight.

“Oh, rough.  My poor knight.”  Bucky said and you laughed.

“Maybe that will teach you.”  You said.

“So is this place yours?”  He asked.

“Well, I’m a co-owner.  Me and a couple of friends.  I’m the coffee person, and there’s a cake person and a money person.”  You explained.

“Who’s the game person?”  He asked.

“Oh, we all are.  That was one of the things that sparked the idea.  We used to have game nights on Fridays and we’d drink so much coffee.  We decided to see if we can make money doing that.”  You said.

“You still do that?”  He asked, taking your bishop with his queen.

“Dude!”  You yelped.  “Yeah, we do.  Here.  And it’s a big thing.  It’s our busiest time.  There’s a lot of finger foods and competitions going on.  You should come sometime.”

Bucky wondered if that was a serious invitation or just one of those things people say.  “Yeah, maybe.”

“Guy can’t be an Avenger all the time.”  You said and took one of his pawns with yours.  “It would be cool to have you.  You can play with me and my friends if you like.  Or if you wanted to bring people we can set you up with something.”

“I guess you can’t.”  He agreed.  “I might see what I can do.  You know… missions and stuff.”

“Yeah, of course.”  You said.  He thought that was a look of disappointment on your face.  He was pretty good at reading people.  That was something that had been literally beaten into him.  But what could you be disappointed about?

“I’ll try and make one.”  He said moving his other bishop out.

His phone chimed and he picked it up.  There was a message from Steve telling him he was needed back a the tower.  He groaned and drained his coffee.  “Shit, sorry.  I gotta go.”

“Was that them?  You got Avengers stuff?”  You asked.

He risked a smile and nodded.  “Yeah, something like that.  Sorry about the game.  I wanted to finish it.”

“Take a photo and the next time you’re here we can start up again.”  You said, moving your knight out.

“Really?  Yeah.  Okay.”  He said and took out his phone, snapping a picture of the board.  “I’d like that.”

“So would I.”  You said with a smile. “It was nice meeting you, Bucky.  Just leave the board and I’ll pack it up for you.”

“Thanks,”  He said getting up.  “I guess I’ll see you again.”

“Soon, I hope.”  You said with a smile.

He grabbed his coat and shrugged it back on, watching as you started clearing off his table.  Whatever had put him in such a bad mood was well and truly gone.  Now he just had to figure out whether he was ready to ask someone out on a date.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @star-spangled-bingo - Night Terror

Bucky thrashed in bed.  His dreams were dark.  His subconscious mind had a lot to process and seemed to want to do that by reliving every terrible thing that he’d done or had done to him in high definition.  When it wasn’t doing that, it was creating new horrors he hadn’t done and inflicting them on anyone that had been unfortunate enough to get close to him.

Tonight his dreams were of you.  It was almost like his subconscious was telling him not to think the things he’d been thinking.  Even though he had had fun playing chess with you.  Even if he did have that very early starts of a crush.  You didn’t get to have a normal life.  You have a normal life and you will ruin it.  You don’t deserve it.

Thus tonight his mind created images of the Grindhouse up in flames.  Tables and chairs knocked over.  Dead bodies of old ladies, broken and slumped over chairs.  His hand, wrapped around your throat and he crushed the life out of you.  A knight clasped in your hand like it would somehow protect you against him.  Like anything could possibly protect you from him.  Not even Bucky could protect you from him.

He woke with a gasp.  His legs tangled in his sheets and his body covered in sweat.  For a second he didn’t even know where he was.  It was like his body was here in bed, but his mind was still at the coffee shop watching the life go out of your eyes.

“Fuck,”  He cursed and tried to kick the sheets off of himself.  There was a ripping sound as the sheet tore in his hands and he cursed again.  “That’s fucking great.”

He got out of bed and trudged to the bathroom, pushing off his boxers and tossing them in the hamper.  He turned the shower on and when it was steaming he hopped in.  The heat scalded his skin.  That was how he liked it.  Especially after a nightmare.  It wasn’t about waking him up.  It was about reminding him he was alive.

As the tension in his muscles started to release he let out a breath.  He really wanted to go back.  He’d wanted to finish the chess game.  He got the hint though.  He wasn’t allowed to have a normal life.  It was stupid that he even thought for a second he might be able to have a simple crush.

He got out and toweled off slowly.  Awake now and not caught in that dream state, but still slightly sluggish.  When he was dry he pulled on some sweats and decided to go out to the kitchen and get a drink.

Steve looked up from the spot at the counter when he came in.  “Couldn’t sleep?”  He asked.

Bucky shook his head.  “You?”

“Had a weird nightmare about waking up from the ice and being too late.  New York was just a radioactive hole in the ground.”  Steve said.

Bucky chuckled and poured himself some milk.  “You spoken to anyone about that savior complex of yours?”

“No.  Have you spoken to anyone about the fact your a huge jerk?”  Steve countered.

Bucky started laughing.  The simple act helped push the nightmare back into a zone where it was just a dream and not a thing that could actively hurt him.  “Yeah, I tell all kinds of people I’m a jerk.  That’s pretty much common knowledge.”

Steve chuckled and took a bite of the sandwich he had sitting in front of him.  Bucky came over and when Steve put it back on the plate he grabbed it and took his own bite.  “Jesus, Buck,”  Steve said with his mouthful, making Bucky laugh, choke, and nearly spit the sandwich in Steve’s face.  Steve swallowed and thumped Bucky on the back.  “So what about you what was your dream about?”

Bucky swallowed and shrugged.  “Remember I told you about the coffee shop and that woman?”

“Remember I’m already designing your wedding invitations in my head.”   Steve teased.

“Yeah, well you can forget it.  I dreamed I went full soldier and destroyed the place.  I woke up at the bit where I was choking her to death.”  Buck said, dropping his eyes.  “I’m not ready for that.  I might not ever be ready for that.  I definitely don’t deserve that.”

“Buck,”  Steve said.  He used that voice that kind of sounds like a mixture of ‘concerned friend’ and ‘disappointed dad’.  Bucky braced himself for the lecture he was about to get.  “It was a dream.  You aren’t that anymore.  You were never that.  That was something they did to you.  You aren’t going to hurt anyone there.  And she’s not going to hurt you.”

“How do you know?  You’ve never even been there.  What if it’s a HYDRA base?”  Bucky grumbled.

Steve chuckled and shook his head.  “Want me to go do some intel?”

“Smart ass.”

Steve put his hand on Bucky’s shoulder.  “You are allowed to attempt a normal life.  You are allowed to have friends.  More than friends.”  He said.  “And being scared and having nightmares is normal.  What you went through… it was more than most people could endure.  It makes sense that you’re still processing.”

“Your therapist tell you that?”  Bucky grumbled, not looking up.

“Yeah, actually.  She did.  Yours will tell you the same thing.”  Steve said.  “For guys like us, being happy takes work.  You gotta work at it.”

Bucky didn’t say anything for a while, he just stared down at his feet.  “You’re younger than me you know?”

“Yeah, I know.  It was a dad speech.”  Steve said with a shrug.  “I’m right though.”

“You usually are.”

“I know.”  Steve teased.  “Will you go back?”

“Yeah.  I’ll go have lunch their tomorrow.”   He said hunching his shoulders.

“Good.  I’m glad.”  Steve said with a smile.  “Now go get some sleep, you jerk.”

Bucky nodded and went and put his glass in the dishwasher.  “Yeah, you too, punk.”

* * *

 

The following day Bucky got up way too early considering how badly he had slept that night.  He joined Steve and Sam for their run and the early morning curse out by Sam because they kept lapping him put Bucky in a good mood despite his usual tiredness.  So when he came in and saw you standing at the espresso machine making coffees for the two guys in suits, he couldn’t help but smile.  That same little heart skip happened again.  That little one you feel when you haven’t yet but there’s that potential for catching feelings.

He shrugged off his coat and hung it up before moving to the counter.  The smile on your face when you saw him was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his life.  It lit you up from the inside and seemed to radiate out.  Like you had a fire inside you, but the good kind.  The kind people huddled around to keep warm.

“You came back!”  You said.  He wondered if that was genuine or just something you did for every customer.  You did have a business to run after all.

He gave you a small smile and nodded.  “Yeah.  Is that okay?”

You chuckled and nodded.  “More than okay.  I was enjoying our game, you want to play again?”

The shop was busier this time.  Lunchtime crowd and all.  Already three other people had come in behind him and there were only a few tables free.  “Yeah, but you’re busy.  It’s okay.”

You shook your head.  “No, it’s totally fine.  I’m just waiting on -”  As you spoke two people in their early twenties came in from the back.  The guy was tall and lanky with long, neat dreads and was wearing, black pants and a white short-sleeve button-up shirt, while the woman was short, had jeans and a teal tank top that matched her loose mohawk, and leather cuffs on each wrist.  “- These guys to take over from me.  Let me make your order and grab my lunch and we can play if you like.”

“Yeah,”  Bucky said with a nod.  “Yeah, I would like that.  I want coffee, but uh - would you just -”

“Wanna expand your horizons?”  You asked.

“Yeah.  Something like that.”

You grabbed a mug and put it near the machine.  “You got it.  Anything else?”

“One of the ham and salad roll things,”  He said not quite willing to use the word panini outside of Italy.  “And the eclair.”

You nodded and ran the order up.  “Go set up the board.  I’ll be over with everything soon.”

He grabbed the chessboard off the shelf and sat down at a table with three hardwood chairs around it.  It took him a little while to get the board back to how it was before and he was just moving his queen to the side when you came over with a tray laden down with sandwiches, coffees, and cakes.

Bucky helped to spread things out and you flopped down into the chair.  “Alright.  Whose turn is it?”

“Yours,”  Bucky said as he looked over the coffee nearest to him.  It had a creamy looking foam on top with what looked like a cartoon cat drawn into it.

“What did you make me?”  He asked.

“It’s just a latte.  I thought we’d start simple.  If you like that, next time I’ll get more adventurous.”  You said as you studied the board.

“It’s got a cat on it,”  Bucky said.

You chuckled and looked up.  “Yeah, you seem like a cat person.”

He picked up the cup and took a sip.  The normally harsh, bitter flavor of the coffee was cut with the milk, making the nutty qualities stand out more.

“What do you think?”  You asked as you moved your queen out.

“Mmm… yeah.  I think I could get used to that.”  He said with a nod.  He picked up his sandwich and began to study the board.

“Good.  Next time we can play with syrups.”  You said.

He loved that you kept saying next time.  Like this was going to be a regular date thing.  Not that it was a date.  It was just some business owner taking pity on a lone patron.  But… the next time.  That was an invitation.  This wasn’t a burden to you.

He moved his knight out and you immediately moved your pawn out to block it.

He laughed.  “That was quick.”

“I don’t wanna lose anything.”  You said.  “How was the mission?  Or am I not supposed to ask about that?”

He chewed the inside of his cheek.  “It was okay.  This time nothing much.  But yeah, not something I can really talk about.”

“Do you like being an Avenger?”  You asked.

He moved his bishop out and looked up at you.  “Yeah. I guess.  I dunno.  I think… I mean, I don’t know what else I’d do.  But… I got a lot to make up for.”

“That doesn’t sound super positive.”  You said.

He shrugged and shrank down a little.

“Sorry.  I’m so nosy.  If I ask something you don’t like, you have permission to tell me to shut it. I won’t get offended.”

He chuckled.  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

You took a bite from your sandwich and chewed it slowly as you studied the board.  Eventually moving out your pawn.  It was a sacrifice play.  Bucky could tell yet he still took it using his knight.  You immediately took the knight with your pawn.

“That was exciting.”  You said.

“Mmm… it was a bit.”  He replied.  “This might be more so.”  He added and moved his bishop.  “Check.”

“Oh, shit.”  You cursed.

Bucky started laughing.  “Come on you can come back from that.”

The game slowed down as you tried to figure out how to get yourself into a better position again.  As you plotted the two of you talked.  When you moved your knight to protect your king, you told him about when you’d learned to become a barista while you were at college.  While Bucky decided if castling his king he told you about some of the things he got up to with Steve as a kid.

By the time you moved your rook up beside your king you and both finished eating and the crush Bucky had was much deeper.  He really liked you and he had no idea what to do about it.  No one in their right mind would agree to date him, would they?

“Ugh.  Gotta go back to work.  You want to take a photo of the board and we can pick it up next to time?”  You asked.

“Yeah.  Sure.”  He said.  “I had fun.”

“Me too, Bucky.  Come back soon.  I think I can win this.”  You said, gathering up the dirty dishes and trash onto the tray.

“Sure you can.”  He teased as he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the board.

“So mean,” you joked.  “See you soon?”

He looked up at you.  He was somehow sure the look in your eye was hope.  Yet at the same, he couldn’t quite believe that could be true. He nodded though. The truth was he wanted to see you soon.  He wouldn’t let his own mind talk him out of this.  Even if it was just you humoring him. He was enjoying it and when did he ever get that?  “Yeah, real soon.” He said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @buckybarnesbingo - B3 Pining, @marvelfluffbingo - Mutual Pining, @star-spangled-bingo - Mutual Pining

It was weird to develop a crush on a customer after so few interactions.  It had happened before.  Not serious ones or anything, but there had been a few customers who’d come in almost daily that were consistently nice that you might have confused niceness for affection and started drawing your initials together inside hearts while you absentmindedly doodled on things.

This was different.  There felt like their might be something there.  Like these little interactions you’d had where you’d just talked while you were playing chess between serving customers were almost dates and you were unlocking more and more about each other and you really liked him.  Not knowing when he was going to show up again, or even if he would ever show up again, was slightly painful.  The second time he showed up and you ate your lunch with him you’d been really excited to see him.  You had expected that he’d maybe just not get the time and then forget about it.  Those things happened and he was a celebrity after all.

When he showed up today, just after the breakfast rush it felt like you heard lept into your throat.  You couldn’t have helped the smile that spread over your features if you wanted to.  He hung his coat on the hook and turned, smiling at you.

“Hey, Bucky,”  You said warmly.  The store was mostly empty now.  A group of college students was burning up your wifi as they worked on a group project at the largest table, each nursing a completely different drink, and there was a couple of tourists who had stopped in to warm up after not being quite prepared for the snow.  “You here to play?”

“If you aren’t busy,”  Bucky said coming over.

You gestured vaguely around the room.  “I think you’re safe.”  You joked.  He smiled a little.  A shy smile of a man who might be relearning how to do it.  It made sense that might be the case.  “What can I get you?”

“You said something about syrup?”

In the end, he’d ordered a caramel latte.  It was still a safe choice, but one that pushed the boundaries of his experience a little further.  He’d also ordered one of the large chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies.  You made his drink and one for you too and grabbed two cookies while Bucky set up the chess board.  Two more tourists came in while you were putting things on a tray and you served them before coming over to the table with everything.

You looked over the board and frowned.  “Hey, you took my knight.”  You said.

“Them’s the breaks.”  He said.

You chuckled and took a seat as you went over the potential moves.  Bucky took a sip of his coffee and looked at you.  “What the fuck?”

“What?  No good?”  You asked as you took his rook with yours.

“It’s so good.  Why have I been drinking black coffee so long?”

You shrugged and shook your head.  “With your sweet tooth?  I have no idea.”

He smiled and blushed a little.  Not much.  You could just see the pink reach above his beard line. “You noticed the sweet tooth?”

“How could I not?  You get the sweetest desserts each time.  It’s never just coffee.”  You said, grinning.

Bucky moved his rook next to his king to protect it and shook his head a little.  “Dunno where it came from.  Everything was so bland growing up.  Now I’m just like ‘give me all the sugar.’  Steve’s the opposite.  Likes things with flavor but if it’s too sweet or too spicy, he can’t take it.”

“That’s really interesting.  I know you have to kinda develop your palate.  But you poor sugar-starved thing.”  You said and moved your queen forward one space.

He laughed.  He rarely did that and it always made you feel extra soft.  “Yeah, gotta make up for lost sugar.”

A couple of customers came in and you got up to serve them.  Unfortunately, when you finished with them two more came in.  When you returned to your seat Bucky had finished his cookie and was down to only a quarter of a cup of coffee left.  He’d also taken your rook with his bishop.

“Sorry about that.”  You said.

He shrugged.  “It’s your job.”

“Still, I’ve been having fun.”

“Me too,”  He said with a rather cheeky twinkle in his eye.

“You looked over the board and shook your head.  “Can’t believe you took my rook.”  You said.

“Like I said, them’s the breaks.”  He said with a twinkle in his eye.

You scrunched your nose and moved your night taking his bishop.  “Yeah, well, so are those.”

He chuckled.  “Not sure that was the best move.”  He said and moved his queen to the side, putting you in check.  “Check.”

“Bucky!”  You squawked.  Not so much upset that it looked like you might be very close to losing, but more that if you did there was no more reason for him to come back and hang out with you.  Maybe he would anyway.  Maybe it wasn’t just about finishing this game for him either.  You’d hope he might actually ask you out and then you could actually go on a date with him.  You couldn’t ask him.  It was against the rules you had made yourself.  This was supposed to be a safe place.  Where customers could come unharassed.  The rules were if a customer made you feel unsafe you could also tell them to leave even if it was only one of the lunchtime coffee makers and not management that felt that way.  So the entire ball was in his court now and you were reluctant to make any more moves because you were worried that even if he did feel that way about you, maybe he wasn’t at an ‘asking strange women out’ stage of his life.

It was also a lot to assume this Avenger had any feelings for some woman who made coffee for a living.

You used your knight to take his queen.  It was the only move you could make and it wasn’t exactly a good one.  He looked at the board and drained the last of his coffee with a frown.  You didn’t know what he was waiting for.  There was one very obvious move there.  He had to take it.  He even put one of his metal fingers on his plastic rook and was rocking it back and forth in on the board.

“Why don’t you take the move?  You know it’s the only one.”  You said.

“I don’t know.  If I take it, the game is over.”  He replied.

“We have other games.”  You said.  “Finishing this one doesn’t mean we have to stop playing together.”

He shifted the rook from side-to-side.  “I guess not.”

“You could come to one of our Friday night things?”  You suggested.  That wasn’t exactly asking him out.  They were public events after all.  Anyone could come.  “You could play with my friends.  Or I could play with you and yours.  Or you know?  Whatever?”

“I guess… yeah.  That would be fun.”  He said and a half smile spread over his features.

“There’s always the coffee too.”  You said.

“Right.  Still, so many flavors to try.”

You laughed, which made the smile form fully.  “Yeah, lots more ways to make it sweet.”

He chuckled a little and moved his rook, putting you into checkmate.  “Mate.”

You pretended to go and flip the table.  “God damn it!”

He laughed and reached forward giving your arm a small pat.  “I know.  Sucks to lose.”

You chuckled, but your skin flushed where he touched it.  “Sure does.  I’ll be sure not to next time.”

He started to pack the game away as you cleared up the cups and plates.  “This has been fun, Bucky.  I hope you’ll keep coming back.”

He looked up at you and smiled.  There was a look in his eye.  Slightly hopeful.  You hoped it meant he could feel that tiny ember of potential you were feeling too.  “Yeah.  I’ll be back.”

You took the dishes back, collecting up other empties from the room and wiping down tables.  That crush you had deepening a little more.

“Bye!”  He called as he opened the door.

“See you, Bucky.”  You called back and as the bell jingled when it closed you started counting down until the next time you saw him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @marvelfluffbingo - Slow Burn

Bucky had gone home feeling a little melancholy after he’d won the game of chess with you.  He knew logically there was no reason not to go back in again, he just had this niggling little voice that said, the game is over, she was being nice.  Time to leave her alone.

You had invited him to the games night though.  So there was that.  He decided he’d go but he’d take people with him.  It was just proving a little harder to convince people to come along.

“You really think this is a good idea?  We all show up and it’s gonna just draw autograph hounds and the paps.”  Steve said.

The group sat around the coffee tables by the big bay windows, drinking and playing a game of poker for peanuts.  Clint was currently winning but Bucky was 100% sure that he’d been dealing from the bottom, and he couldn’t quite understand why no one had called him out on it yet.

“Not everyone has to go.  I just wanted to see if anyone wanted to go.”  He said.  “She asked me and said I can bring people, and she knows who my friends are.”

“She did huh?  And who’s she?”  Natasha said, she looked at her hand and then at the pile of nuts in the middle of the table.  “Call.”  She added pushing a small pile of peanuts into the pile.

“She’s just this woman at the coffee shop.  She’s nice.”  Bucky said.

There was a chorus of ‘oohs’ and Natasha nudged him.  “Well, I’ve gotta go now.  I’ll be there.”

“Yeah, I’ll go too.  Not like anyone ever asks me for an autograph.  I swear I got asked one time and they thought I was some dude name Iron Fist.”  Clint said with a shrug.

“Yeah, I dunno.  I’m not sure sitting around a coffee shop playing Dungeons and Dragons is really my thing.  I’m out.”  Tony said.  “All in.”  He added pushing a huge pile of peanuts into the pile.

Bruce, Steve, and Thor all folded.  “There’s gonna be Dungeons and Dragons?  I’ll come.”  Bruce said, a little glint of excitement in his eye.

“Oh Brucie bear, such a nerd.”  Tony teased.

“I’ll call,”  Clint said and threw his hand down.  Full house, Aces over kings.  Tony cursed and threw his cards down.  Everyone else who still had cards in shook their heads and Clint dragged all the peanuts on the table over to him.

“I’ll come and so will Steve,”  Sam said as Clint started gathering up the cards.

Steve put his hand on Clint’s.  “No more dealing for you.”  He said gathering up the deck.  “Yeah, I’ll go too.”

Bucky relaxed a little.  If Steve and Sam were there that was enough.  Having Nat and Clint and Bruce and any of the others were extra assurance.  He just hoped that they didn’t all embarrass him too much.

* * *

 

Friday night came around and Bucky wasn’t sure what he should wear.  Obviously, he didn’t want to dress up too much.  This wasn’t a suit and tie event.  He also didn’t want to go in wearing an old henley and a ballcap. He wanted to look nice, but not be conspicuous and he couldn’t quite figure out what that meant.

Eventually, he settled on jeans, a button up shirt not buttoned up all the way with a leather jacket on over the top.  He thought he looked okay and when no one made fun of him for it, he figured it must fit the medium ground he was going for.

In the end, the whole group, including Tony, went.  The coffee shop was crowded when they got there and it had been rearranged.  Card tables had been brought out and the larger, more comfortable chairs were gone.  They’d been replaced with fold up chairs.  You were flitting around the room when they got there, finding places where people could sit and among several other people putting plates of food on the table.  There were obviously people being paid to work the room.  The espresso machine was going flat out  Just a conveyor belt of people making espresso shots while other people turned them into drinks and then another went and delivered them to the tables.

You saw them when they came in and your whole face lit up.  “Bucky!”  You said coming over and kissing his cheek.  “You brought everyone.”

He chuckled.  “Yeah, do you have the room?”

“We’ll find it.  Might have to shut the doors though.  Might have reached our legal capacity.”   You said moving past them and putting the ‘Sorry, we’re full’ sign on the door and latching it.  “Here follow me, we’ll get a table with my friends and yours.”

You lead them to a table at the back and everyone took a seat and introductions were made.  Your two friends, Meagan and Belinda definitely had a case of starstruck.  Where you seemed completely at ease around everyone, like meeting assassins and billionaires and 100-year-old soldiers, was all part of your day to day normal, they kept blinking around at everyone and falling over their words.

When everyone had food and drinks and games were underway, you sat down at the table.  “We were going to play cards against humanity.  Are you okay with that?”   You asked.  “It’s pretty easy.”

“Oh, hell yes,”  Tony said rubbing his hands together and taking his glasses off.

“What are the rules?”  Steve asked, which Bucky was thankful for.  He didn’t want to look like the out of place one for a change.

You and your friends pulled out a long black box and the three of you began separating cards up and shuffling.  You put a stack of cards into the middle of the table as one of the others deal out some of the other cards.  “So,”  You said.  “These are the question cards.”  You flipped a card over.  It was black and written on the front was ‘I work my ass off all day for this family, and this is what I come home to? ______!?’  “What you need to do is answer the question the funniest way you can with the cards in your hand.  An answer will look like this.  You flipped a white card over with ‘Sperm whales.’ Written on it.  “You give your answer to the person who dealt and they chose who wins.  First to five wins.  Easy.”

Steve looked very unsure of himself while Clint and Tony both looked completely delighted.

The game was different, but it wasn’t long until even he and Steve had relaxed into it.  It was gross at times.  Tony seemed to like making it very gross.  He won the first hand ‘___, don’t try this at home.’ with ‘Firing toothpicks out of your penis like it was a machine gun.’

It made Steve groan and set the tone for the rest of the game.  Steve made Tony completely lose it when he saw Steve reply to the card ‘What’s on my back?’ with ‘Shots.  Each one grants +10 Charisma and -5 Heterosexuality.’  Nat’s hand ‘The Hills are Alive with the sound of ____.’ ‘Ripping into a man’s chest and pulling out his still beating heart’.  Made Clint howl with laughter.  And while it didn’t win the round, Nat appreciate Clint’s playing ‘Flunking out of Clown College.’ on the prompt ‘____.  That was hard.’  Telling him it was funny because it was true.

The biggest laugh of the night came when you played, ‘Genetically engineered super-soldiers.’ on ‘In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has opened an interactive exhibit on ______.’

“Too late, already got one on this punk.”  Bucky had teased.

He had felt as relaxed as he had ever felt.  Your friends had ended up relaxing too and even with people coming over and asking for photos and autographs or just trying to talk and connect with the Avengers, they let their walls down.  He let his walls down and he got time to talk, even if he could feel Nat and Steve’s eyes on him anytime the two of you started to connect.

That’s what it felt like too.  Connection.  You and he were connecting.  He hadn’t felt that in so long.  There was some with the other Avengers, but he often guarded himself.  They’d seen him at his worst and he sometimes worried that that would taint their view of him forever.  You had not, and while he worried that there was gonna be something he could say that would make you reject him outright because of who he was and what he had done, he also felt more relaxed that right now it was an empty canvas and you hadn’t painted him as anything yet.

He almost felt confident enough to ask you on a date.  Almost.  One problem was that there was no way he was getting you alone to ask tonight.  It was too busy and you were just as in demand with people as Tony was.  There was also no way he would ask you out with the team watching.  Shit, he couldn’t even do it if it was just Steve.  He couldn’t handle the pity looks he got before you even had a chance to turn him down.  He knew that’s what would happen too.  They’d watch and they’d pity him because he’d have to be an idiot to think that a regular person would want anything to do with the fucked up mess that he was.  Or that even if you could be interested, that he thought it might actually last.

So he’d wait.  He did say goodbye to you though.  You’d asked if you’d see him soon and he’d felt something in his chest unwind.  He’d promised you he’d be back very soon.  He’d meant it too.  He was planning on coming back just as soon as he could when he knew it was quiet so he could ask you out properly.

“She was really nice, Buck.  You gonna ask her out?”  Sam asked as the team headed back to the tower.

Bucky shrugged.  He knew it was probably safe to tell Sam.  He just wasn’t sure if he could.

“You should, man,”  Sam pushed.  “She likes you.  It’s really obvious.  You deserve some happiness.”

Bucky nodded.  “Thanks, Sam.  I might.  I like her.”

It made Sam chuckle and pat his shoulder.  “That’s really no secret either, man.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @buckybarnesbingo - C3 Snowed In

Bucky had planned how he’d ask you out.  He was going to go down to the Grind House and start some kind of two-player game with you over coffee.  When it was done he’d say something like ‘I really like spending time with you, do you think we can have dinner sometime?’  Or, maybe not in those words.  Fewer words.  As few as he could manage to get the yes.  ‘Dinner Friday?’  perhaps.  He’d just do ‘Food’ on its own if he could get away with it.  Though somehow he didn’t think that was going to work.

That was his plan.  The universe seemed to have other plans.  A freak blizzard hit the city which on its own was almost enough for Bucky to call the whole thing off.  If the Universe is throwing a whole fucking blizzard at you on the day you planned to ask someone out on a date then you were obviously not supposed to go on one.  On top of that, he had to work.

Due to the sudden nature of the storm, the Avengers went out to help get people inside off the streets and assist with emergency services.  He was glad to help really.  No one deserved to die like that and it took his mind off the fact that he was going to be single forever.   He just wished the cold didn’t affect him so strongly.  It seemed to freeze him right to the bone.  It always did.  It ached where his cybernetic shoulder met his flesh.  It seemed to creep into his core and bring along with it the muscle memory of the electroshock torture that had been done to him by HYDRA.

He had rugged up.  Several layers of black on black on black to keep the cold out.  It hadn’t helped.  When the word had finally come through that he was being called back in, he felt a wave of relief.  He couldn’t wait to get back inside and into a hot bath so he might be able to feel the slightest bit human again.  He turned and made his way back towards the tower.  It was bleak.  Rarely was Manhattan as quiet and empty as it was now.  Lights were on in apartments but businesses were mostly blacked out.  Which was why it was a surprise when he saw a dim light emanating from The Grind House as he came around the corner.

He stopped and looked for a moment.  First questioning why the light was on and then worrying if maybe you’d gotten stuck inside.  He changed course and trudged through the now knee-high snow.  When he reached the door he pressed his face to the glass and peered inside.  He couldn’t make out exactly who was inside but the fire was burning and there were four figures sitting around it.

He tapped on the glass and one person shot up and rushed to the door.  About halfway there he realized it was you.  You pulled the door open and the snow that had built up at the door spilled inside.  “Bucky!”  You yelped, grabbing the front of his jacket and dragged him inside.  “What are you doing out there?”

“What are you doing here?” He countered shoving the door closed again and locking it behind him.  As he started to strip off his layers he noticed that the other three people in the room were obviously homeless.  Their clothes were worn and dirty.  They also looked like they could use a hot shower and a good night’s sleep.  Nearby their personal effects sat in a pile of bags.  On the table in front of them were cups of coffee, sandwiches that had been half eaten and a selection of cakes.

“I was about to lock up an leave before the storm hit and these three were huddling in the doorway. Couldn’t let them just freeze.”  You said as you began to clean up the snow that had come through the door.  “We’re just holding up in here.  There’s the fire.  Food.  Facilities.  It’s alright.  Now you.”

“We were helping emergency services.  I was just heading back and saw the lights on.”  Bucky said.

“Well, get inside warm up.” You said helping him off with his coats.  “You hungry?”

He nodded.  “So hungry.”

“Alright go sit by the fire.  I’ll get you something.”  You said.

He went and sat by the others.  They introduced themselves as Joe, Henry, and Magdalena.  They were in the middle of playing a game of canasta.

Bucky quietly watched them play and talk as the wind howled outside and more snow built up against the door.  He quickly texted Steve to let him know where he was and just as the reply came back you returned with a tray with more hot drinks, soup, and sandwiches.

“You didn’t have to do this,”  Bucky said as you started handing out the various things.

“Nonsense.  We’re stuck here now.”  You replied.  “You can’t starve.”

He relaxed a little and joined the four of you as you played a few more rounds of Canasta making sure to keep the fire roaring.  As it became clearer that no one was going anywhere tonight everyone separated, finding somewhere they could get comfortable so they could sleep.

You and Bucky stayed near the fire, sitting on the couch that had been set up to face it so you could watch it crackle as you talked.  “I’m glad you came by.”  You said quietly.

“Yeah.  I was going to.  Then the storm hit.  Didn’t expect you to be here.”  He replied.  It was weird how the start of this storm he’d been so sure it was the Universe telling him he couldn’t have this, and yet here he was with you watching the fire as you both drank hot chocolate.

You smiled softly and put your hand on his arm.  His skin prickled a little under your touch.  It was strange.  He had taken a long time to get used to the hugs and the pats on the back from Steve and then the others.  Now it was like second nature.  Yet, your hand on his arm right now felt like a small electric current passed through him from your fingertips.  “The coffee here that good?”

He chuckled and nodded.  “It’s pretty great.  But that’s not why.”

“Oh?”  You said.  There was a coyness to your voice.  Like you knew exactly why he was coming back and you just wanted to hear him say it.

“I like you.”  He said.  His skin felt warm and he wasn’t sure if it was just the fire or he’d blushed.  He hoped it was the first one.

You smiled and your hand moved down his arm and your hand slipped into his.  “I like you too.”

“Do you think…”  He started and looked down.  There was a time in his life that this was easy from him.  Shit, back in the day he’d have already taken you one at least two dates and he’d have gotten his hand up under your skirt.  He could barely even remember that guy though and right now the thought of actually asking you out was scarier than fighting a huge hoard of aliens.  How did you ask someone out?  “Would you like to…”

You squeezed his hand.  “I’d love to, Bucky.  Dinner?”

“Yeah.  I’d love that.”  He said.  “Saturday?”

You nodded and leaned on him and he shifted his arm, wrapping it around your shoulders.  The weight of your body against his felt both comforting and a little exciting.  The start of something new that was a little exciting.  He was a new Bucky and it might be nice to see how this guy was when he was dating.  “This is actually kinda nice isn’t it?”  You said.

He took a deep breath in, inhaling the scent of your hair.  The slight floral notes of your shampoo.  “Yeah, it is.  I’m really glad you were here.”

You hummed softly and closed your eyes.  “Mmm… me too.  Kinda like it was destiny right?”

Bucky smiled and the two of you shifted so you were lying, you wrapped in his arms.  He wasn’t sure about destiny, but this felt like exactly where he was supposed to be.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @buckybarnesbingo - K5 Cuddling

You woke up wrapped completely in Bucky’s arms.  It was a weirdly comforting feeling considering that you didn’t know him very well and you had not slept crammed onto a couch together.

He was warm and his chest made a nice pillow.  It was nice having his large arms wrapped around you, even if the metal one as a little cool and quite heavy.  You opened your eyes and looked up at him.  He looked so peaceful with the way his features were so relaxed and his eyelashes fanned out over his cheeks.

You carefully pulled back so you could work your way out of his grip without waking him.  Unfortunately, you’d barely even moved and his eyes snapped open and he sat up.  “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,”  you said gently, brushing his hair from his face.  “It’s just morning and I need to pee like crazy.”

He chuckled and let you go.  “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,”  You said.  You then did something that part of you said was overstepping but the other part said, you just slept through the night in this man’s arms, it would be fine.  You kissed him.

It wasn’t the kiss to end all kisses by any means.  Just a quick peck on the lips.  Simple and gentle and to say I like you and I like this and I want there to be more of it.  He made a soft sound.  Not quite a moan, not quite a hum.  More like a puff of air that expresses both his surprise and delight.  He chased your lips as you pulled away and looked up at you with a soft smile.

“Right.  Sorry.”  He said letting you go.

You got up and used the bathroom, fleshing yourself up as best you could before coming back out to the others.

“They plowed,”  Bucky said as he stood at one of the large windows.  “Probably can head home.”

“That would be nice.  How about I make everyone breakfast and we find somewhere for you guys to stay.”  You said.

There was a general agreement and you went back to the kitchen and began making a hearty breakfast for everyone while Bucky made some phone calls.  By the time five plates of eggs, bacon, toast, sausage links and hash browns along with five coffees were on the table everyone had freshened up, and a shelter that Bucky said he volunteered at had said they’d take your three new friends.  You all played a game of Exploding Kittens while you ate.

The van arrived to collect them and after the first round and Bucky stayed to help you clean and lock up.  “Thank you for staying with me.  You didn’t have to do that.”

He smiled.  God, it was such a gift when he did that.  They didn’t seem to come easily for him, and when they did they were so genuine.  “I had fun. I like spending time with you.”

“I like spending time with you too.”  You said.  You stacked the last of the chairs up on top of the table as Bucky ran the mop over the floor.

“I was thinking.”  You said.  “Rather than going out, would you like to come over to my place.  I could cook.  We can watch a movie.  Just… do something low key.”

Bucky stopped what he was doing and looked at you.  “You wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not.  It would be nice.”  You replied.

“Then yeah.  I’d really like that.”  He finished up mopping and came back out.  “What if I buy the groceries and we cook together?”  He said.

You walked over to him and wrapped your arms around his waist.  For a second he stiffened up and didn’t respond.  You thought you’d crossed a line he wasn’t yet ready for, which didn’t quite make sense considering you’d slept wrapped in his arms.  You were about to pull away when his arms closed around you and he rested his cheek against you.  Almost nuzzling right in.  “I love that idea so much.”  You said, softly.

“Mm, I really like cooking.”  He said.

You nuzzled into his neck.  “And I like being in your arms like this.”

He hummed and held you a little closer.  “I like it too.”  The two of you stood there, like that for a little while.  His arms wrapped around you, as you listened to the beat of his heart.  It was going a little fast but you still loved the sound of the steady beat.

“We should probably get going?  I need a shower so bad.”  You whispered.

“Yeah, you do.”  He said.  The tone of his voice was playful enough for you not to take offense.  You pulled back and gave him a small shove, making him laugh.

“Jerk.”

“I know.”  He said.  “How are you getting home?”

“Not sure.  I guess the trains will be running again.”  You said, going to pull away from him.

He pulled you back into his arms and nuzzled at your neck as he pulled out his phone.  “No.”

“No?”  You asked.

“Not fair on the other people on the train.”  He said and held his phone to his ear as you poked him in the side.  He wriggled under your touch but his voice remained steady.  “Yeah, it’s Bucky.  Can you send a car to get me from the  Grind House?  Right…  Yeah…  Okay, thanks.”  He hung up the phone and looked down at you.   “Cars coming to get us.  It’ll be about fifteen minutes.”

“First of all.  You’re a jerk.  Second of all, you sweetheart.  You didn’t need to do that.  The train would have been fine.”  You said.

He rubbed your back.  “You contradicted yourself.”

“Hey now, I might contradict myself.  But I  _never_  contradict myself.”  You teased making Bucky laugh.  “Okay, what shall we do for the next fifteen minutes?”

Sit by what was left of the fire and cuddle was the answer to that question.  It felt so good wrapped in his arms.  There was something about the way his body reacted to you, tensing and then relaxing so much it felt like you were made specifically to fit in his arms and he was made to hold you with them.  He was warm and comforting and he drew his own comfort from you in such a way that you were aware of it.

When the car came you both climbed in the back and you automatically moved into his arms.  He held you all the way and then walked you to the door.  “So on Saturday then?”  You said.

“Saturday.”  He repeated and seemed to lean forward and then pull back again.

“Unless, you know, you feel like getting a coffee?  Then you know where to find me.”

He nodded and did that hesitation ‘lean forward’ again.  You bridged the distance and kissed him.  The same soft kiss from early.  That simple peck of the lips.  This time you let it linger though.  He didn’t try and deepen it.  He just held his lips against yours for that moment longer humming to himself.

He pulled away and looked down into your eyes.  “I’ll probably need coffee.”  He breathed.

“Good.  Then I’ll see you soon.”

He waited for you to get inside and you headed up your stairs feeling that little flutter in your heart that let you know, something really good was just starting.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @buckybarnesbingo - U4, KINK: French Kiss, @star-spangled-bingo - Coming Untouched.

Saturday was not a long wait and when it dawned Bucky was apprehensive.  Thankfully due to the lack of time to dwell on it, he hadn’t completely over thought the whole thing.  He was overthinking what he should wear though.

He’d gotten a little stuck in a cycle of wanting to look nice for the date, but then getting mad at himself for caring so much about wanting to look nice.  He was just changing his third shirt when there was a knock on his door.

“It’s open.”  He called.

Natasha stepped in shook her head.  “What is with you and not being able to choose clothes?”

“I don’t know,”   He whined.  “I didn’t use to have this problem.”

She chuckled and approached him.  “You look good.  Just -”  She unbuttoned the top button on his shirt.  “Go with your leather jacket.  But -”  She took the hairband off her braid and pulled his hair back, carefully smoothing it down before tying it off.  “There.  Looks good.”

Bucky grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on.

“How are you feeling?”  Nat asked.

“Nervous.”  He said.

She smiled and ran her hands down his arms.  “Well, it has been like 70 years since you last went on a date.”

“Yeah, thanks for that, Tasha.”  He grumbled.

She chuckled and patted his shoulder.  “She likes you.  Just be you.”

“That’s the problem.  I don’t know who  _I_  am.”

Natasha sighed and rubbed the small of his back.  “I know how hard this is, James.  We’re monsters.  But that’s what they wanted us to be and they don’t get a say anymore.  Whatever you’ve been doing so far has worked.  You got the date.  Just keep doing it.”

Bucky nodded a little and let out a breath.

“So what’s the plan?  Taking her out?”  She asked.

Bucky grabbed his wallet and tucked it in his pocket.  “Nah.  Gonna cook for her.”

“Something Romanian?”

He nodded.  “Yeah.  I got a few things I liked making.”

She patted his back.  “Sounds perfect.  See your instincts are good.  That’s a total panty dropper.”

Bucky started laughing, which in turn eased his mind just enough to kick him into action.  “Thanks, Tasha.”

“Of course.  Clunking heads is what I do around here.”  She teased.

* * *

 

Bucky went to your place via an International Market where he picked up smoked ham, trout, minced pork, cabbage, cheeses, and the various other spices and vegetables he was going to need to cook with.

He made his way to your place, arms laden down with groceries.  You buzzed him up immediately and greeted him at the door looking like you belonged in a spring themed watercolor despite how cold it was outside.

“Oh my goodness, Bucky.  Look at all the food you brought.”  You said taking one of the bags off him.

“Yeah.  I might have gone overboard.”  He agreed following you inside.

You put the bag down on the kitchen bench and turned to him, kissing his cheek.  He felt a warm tingle pass through him.  It had happened every time you’d touched him in such a familiar fashion.  He didn’t know if that was just him getting used to that touch or if it was specifically because it was you.

Maybe the truth lay somewhere between those two things.  Whatever it was, he liked it.  A lot.  He wanted more but was worried that if it moved to the bedroom he wasn’t going to be able to perform properly.  It had been so long and he’d been through so much, that where once he’d have felt cocky and completely sure about his abilities, now he didn’t even know if he had it in him anymore.

“So what are we making?”  You said.

He started unpacking the bags and laying them out based on what dishes they were going in.  “Caşcaval Pane, Ciorbă de perişoare, Varză țărănească cu Ciolan Afumat, Mămăligă, and Plăcinte cu brânză dulce.”

“That sounds so cool.  But what is it?”  You said, looking over everything.

He chuckled and looked down, shaking his head a little.  “There’s a deep-fried breaded cheese, meatball soup, smoked ham hock and cabbage, polenta and for dessert a fried dough with sweet cheese.”

“So…much…food.”  You said.  “Good thing I love to eat.  Point me to what you want me to do and I’ll do it.”

The two of you worked well together and as you cooked he relaxed.  He liked cooking.  It helped him get out of his head.  Plus it was nice to actually create things after years of being used to destroy everything.

Soon the apartment was filled with the smells of spices and cooked meats and the two of you were sitting together on the couch eating.

“You’re a really good cook.  Where did you learn all this stuff?”  You asked.

“I spent a few years living in Romania.  I did all that kind of cash in hand, not on the books work.  Construction.  Odd jobs.  Working in kitchens.  Picked up things.”  He said.

“It’s so good.  I’d hire you to work in my kitchen.  Only we don’t really have one.  Just sandwiches and soups.”  You joked.

“Well if you ever decide to expand you know where I am.”  He said.

You laughed and shifted in your chair, snuggling up into his side.  He wrapped his arm around you.  He really did love how you felt pressed against him.  Even though sleeping with you on that couch had been a nightmare on his back, he had slept really well.  He loved how safe you seemed to feel with him.

“I am so full.”  You said putting your plate down and curling into him more.

“That was the plan.”  He said looking down at you.

For a moment he just stared down into your eyes.  His eyes flicked to your lips taking in every part of them in detail.  The color and texture of your lipstick.  The fine lines over the soft curve.  The way they parted just a little as you moved forward.

He bridged the distance, bringing his lips to yours.  The kiss started slow.  Just a gentle caress of your lips over his.  You dipped your tongue out and ran over his top lip.  It was something he had done many times before with lots of women but it had been so long and he had been a different person.  This felt like the first time.  He hummed softly against your lips and deepened the kiss, opening his mouth more and bringing his tongue to meet yours.

You circled them together and danced them over the other’s lips.  Your hand went to his hair and bunched in it making him groan deeply as his scalp prickled.  The deep tingle in his lips, spread through him, making his hair stand on end and his cock start to stiffen.

Part of him thought maybe that was a sign he was doing too much.  He had been conditioned to pain and while he’d come a long way since he left HYDRA this felt like such an extreme his body wasn’t quite sure how to handle it.

He didn’t stop though.  His closed his arms around you and pulled you closer to him, the extra pressure of your body against his increasing the pleasure he was feeling.

You sucked on his bottom lip and he groaned and pulled back a little, letting you tug on it gently as he did.

“I might need to stop.”  He whispered, even though it was really the last thing he wanted to do.

You gently caressed his jaw and looked down into his eyes.  “What’s wrong?”

“I - I uh -”  He looked down at his now obvious erection.

“Oh.  Did you want to - ?”  You cocked your head towards the bedroom and quirked your eyebrows.

“No,”  He said a little too quickly.  “I mean.  Yes.  I do.  But… I don’t think I’ll last.”

You pulled back and looked at him and he started to wish a hole would open in the ground and swallow him whole.  “I’m okay going at whatever speed you like, Bucky.”

“It’s just… since HYDRA… What they did… I haven’t been…”  He stuttered.

You hummed and leaned in and nipped at his earlobe.  “Then you need some time to get used to us.  So let’s keep going as long as you’re still enjoying it.  And if you come.  Then that’s just fine by me.”

The heat of your breath as it tickled his neck combined with the teasing growl in your voice traveled right down his spine to his dick, making it jump and leak.  He nodded and pulled you back into a kiss.

It was just that.  Nothing more.  His hand at your jaw and his arm around your waist while yours were tangled in his hair.  You kissed deeply.  Hungrily.  Lips moving together, tongues dancing.  His whole body seemed like a live wire.  A strong current running through it making his nerves feel raw and exposed.

His cock was hard and throbbing.  Each movement of your lips and tug of his hair seemed to bring him closer and closer to the edge.  You moved your lips down his jaw and sucked on the pulse point under his ear as you unfastened his pants and pulled his cock out.  “You gonna come, Bucky?”  You purred against his ear.  “Let me see you.”  You sucked again, hard enough that if he were almost anyone else, he would have marked.

It was enough that it sent a jolt through him.  He jerked up under you and came on his stomach with a loud groan.

You pulled back and looked at him.  For a moment he felt embarrassed.  The thought that this was all it took made him feel inadequate.  You bit your bottom lip.  “That was so fucking hot.”  You said and leaned down and licked him clean.

His head fell back and his metal hand clutched at your hair as every thought of inadequacy was pushed aside.  “Jesus Christ.”  He gasped.

You licked him clean and sucked on his now over sensitive cock before sitting back up and tucking him away.  He looked up at you and blinked a little.  “You’re kind of unreal you know?”

You chuckled and curled in against his side.  “Hardly.”  You said.  “Bucky, I really like you okay.  If this is the first relationship since that, I don’t mind that you might need extra time to feel comfortable.”

He felt a tightening in his chest.  He was really falling for you hard and he was really starting to enjoy it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @star-spangled-bingo - Playful Relationship

He came into the Grind House the following Monday.  It was during lunch so you made him a white chocolate mocha, toasted a panini and brought them over to the table by the fire with your own lunch and a caramel tart.  The two of you had played a game of ‘Codenames Duets’, which he completely annihilated you at.  While you had both played you talked about the plans for the week.  He thought he had a mission coming up.  You were considering buying some more games for the store.

In the final 10 minutes, you’d asked him if he’d come to.game night again.  He said the only thing that would keep him away was HYDRA.  He’d asked if you might like to go out on Saturday.  You had said you’d love to.

That’s how it was dating you for the most part.  Playing games over lunch at The Grind House most days.  He’d come to the game night, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends.  Dates on the weekend that were often casual and always involved long makeout sessions.  You hadn’t had sex yet.  Not because either of you was waiting, but because you were being patient.  You were leaving room for his body to catch up with what his mind wanted.  He wanted to have sex with you, but the intense way his body reacted to just making out, he worried that there was no way he could get from there to sex without blowing his load.  So you did other things.  Kissing, dry humping, erotic massage.  You showered together.  You took baths.  He got you off and oh god did you get him off as you patiently went through every kind of intimate touch so he could acclimatize to it.

It had only really been a few weeks since he’d officially asked you on a date but he was falling for you fast.  He still had these huge worries about being with you.  You were just a normal person who had lived an average life.  There had been good and bad but you owned a coffee shop and played board games.  You weren’t average by any sense of the word but you were good and untouched by the kind of life he had experienced.  He worried that at some point the burden of the things he carried or the life he led now as a hero trying to clean up his past was going to be too much for you and in the end, you’d either get hurt or pull back before you let yourself be hurt.

Only it was exactly all that stuff that he was attracted to you for.  You weren’t touched by this.  He relaxed when he was around you.  He smiled.  God damn it, he let himself laugh with you.  When he was visited you part of the world, the non-Avengers world, he felt a little bit like the guy he had been before he’d ever put that army uniform on all those years ago.

Which was really odd because he knew for a fact that that guy wouldn’t have been caught dead drinking salted caramel lattes in a place like The Grind House.  He was too cool for things like that.  He always had to be moving.  He always had to show girls how extremely cool and talented he was all the time.

Now though…

Well, now he loved the Grind House.  It was like it had been designed just for him.  He loved how almost none of the chairs matched.  He loved all the different board games and card games.  He loved how it smelled.  He loved the fireplace.  He loved the different coffees and the sandwiches and the cake selection that never seemed the same from one day to the next.

He also thought he might love you.

Or at least he had that first little sparks of what could be love.  Those little things that he definitely did love that led to actually falling in love with a person.  He loved when you teased each other.  He loved when you won a game and got all smug about it.  He loved when he won you were always genuine with your congratulations.  He loved how patient you were.  How funny.  How kind.  God, the depth of your kindness seemed infinite.  He’d never known anyone like that.  He’d never known anyone so fearless and yet so absolutely determined to give to those who needed it.  Steve came close he guessed, but where Steve had always solved problems with his fists you always went the pacifist route.

So it was there and he was falling hard and fast.  It was scary and exciting.  Like being on a rollercoaster where the risk was real but the reward was real too and just might be worth it.

Steve, Sam, and Natasha all seemed to think so.  They were always pushing for more information.  While not everyone always came to the game nights, if those there were in the city, they went with him.  They talked him up to you even though, he kind of thought that wasn’t necessary.  He wasn’t sure why still, but you seemed to genuinely like him.  You didn’t act like you were feeling sorry for him.  You weren’t scared of him.  It was affection and it was real even if he wasn’t sure he deserved it.

You touched him on the tip of the nose and he blinked at you.  “Where’d you go?”  You asked.

He chuckled.  “Space.”

“Oh yeah?  That sounds fun.  What were you doing in space?”

He pulled you tighter to him.  “Oh, you know?  Flying around in a spaceship at light speed.  Meeting aliens.”

“Aliens like Thor?”  You asked.

“Nope.  More bit gelatinous blob monsters.”

You both started laughing and he pulled you against him.  “Pity.  Thor’s hot.  Maybe he could have given you some hot alien booty.”

Bucky completely lost it.  He couldn’t remember the last time he has laughed as hard or as genuinely as he was now.  It had to have been before he was taken.  Likely before the war.

He tightened his arms around you and nuzzled into your neck. “I love you so much.”  The words were out before he realized he’d even said them.

You pulled back and smiled down at him, cupping his jaw.  It felt like his heart had stopped.  He was sure that was too soon to say it.  Even if he did feel it as strongly as he did.  You couldn’t possibly feel the same way.  Taking out the paranoia of no one loving him because of the monster he’d become.  Saying ‘I love you’ too soon was relationship suicide.

Your smile was soft and reassuring and you caressed his cheek with your thumb.  “I love you too, Bucky.”

It took a moment to process the words.  To process that you’d said them back.  Not only had you said them back but you had meant them.  It wasn’t you trying to placate him or manipulate him.  He loved you and you loved him right back.

A smile spread slowly over his face and he leaned in and kissed you.  Slowly and tenderly at first before deepening it quickly.  Your tongues dancing together as you moved your lips against his.  He moaned softly, pulling you into his lap and you rolled your hips against him, his already rock hard cock rubbing through his clothes.

He groaned and bunched a hand in your hair as the other ran down your side and gripped your hip.  You pulled back and looked down at him.  “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

“Mmm good idea.”  He teased and got up, lifting you with him.  You squealed and kissed him hungrily as he carried you down to the bedroom he tossed you onto the bed and you let out another squeal as you bounced on the mattress.  He laughed and climbed up on the bed after you, crawling over your body and leaning in to kiss you.

You cupped his jaw just before he did and looked into his eyes.  “We can go at the pace you want.  I have no expectations right now.”

He nodded.  “You are too good to me.”

You shook your head.  “Nope, you deserve the world.”

He leaned in and kissed you again, deeply and passionately.  He wanted you now.  His body ached for you, but he knew he was going to need to slow down at least a little.  He rutted his hips, grinding down against you.

He broke the kiss and trailed his lips down your neck.  Peppering your skin with kisses.  He pulled back and lifted your shirt over your head before kissing his way down your body.  He wanted to taste you.  To make you come.  To drink it up before he sunk his dick deep inside of you.

You squirmed under him and ran your fingers through his hair as he kissed down your stomach and pulled your pants down.  He softly kissed the inside of each thigh before sucking hard enough to mark them.  You moaned loudly and lifted your hips off the bed.  Almost presenting your cunt to him, glistening with your arousal.

He hummed and breathed you in as he spread your folds with his fingers and licked his tongue over the exposed pink of your pussy.  Wide at first, coating his tongue with your juices.  Savoring the sweet and salty taste of them.  As you squirmed and moaned and tugged on his hair he focused in on your clit, drawing random patterns over it.  Sometimes large and sloppy, sometimes small and focused.  Your moans got louder and you pushed him down into your cunt more.  He chuckled and sucked your clit into his mouth and sucked on it as he pushed his fingers inside you.

He fucked you with them, curling them and stroking them inside you as he fucked you with his fingers.  His senses were being overwhelmed.  The sound of your moans filled the room as the scent and taste of your cunt filled him.  His cock was hard and throbbing and he wanted to be inside you, but he needed you to come in his mouth.  He wanted it badly.

He kept working your cunt, his fingers dragging over the soft spongy surface of your g-spot as he held your clit between his lips and flicked his tongue over it.  You arched up suddenly and came.  He kept pumping his fingers as he drank up what he could, your fluids running down his wrist and your body shuddered.

You sat up and guided him up with you, still breathing heavily, your eyes blown out with lust.  He kissed you deeply and you pushed him back against the headboard of the bed without breaking the kiss.  You unfastened his pants and pulled them down, his cock, sprang up and lay against his stomach, rock hard and throbbing.  You hummed when you saw it and gently ran your fingers up its length.  It jumped and twitched at your touch, sending a shiver up his spine.

“God, your dick is so fucking big.”  You hummed as you climbed into his lap.

“I’ve noticed.”  He teased and you both started giggling.  “It’s partly the serum.  Are you worried?”

You shook your head and slowly sunk down on it moaning as the wet warmth of your cunt enveloped him.  You squeezed around his cock, sending a shock of pleasure through him, making him moan and buck up into you.

You relaxed your core muscles and slowly began to twist your hips on him.  He groaned and looked up into your eyes.  It felt like ecstasy.  So good compared to anything he’d felt for so long.  Even with the gradual build up, it still felt so much better than he had remembered.  He leaned down and nuzzled at your breasts.  He sucked on them.  Pulled your nipples into his mouth and bit gently on them.  He moved up, capturing your lips, kissing you hungrily.

His balls tightened and he started to thrust up into you.  You rubbed your clit as he fucked you and you moaned into the kiss.  Just as he was sure he wasn’t going to last any longer you came again, crying out and throwing your head back.  The sudden clenching of your cunt was more than he could handle.  He thrust hard up into you and came hard, grunting and burying his face in your neck.

The two of you collapsed down on the be and you curled up in his arms, resting your head on his chest.   “Well, I got what I wanted,”  You teased, running your hand over his chest.

He laughed.  “Just that?  I’m sure I could do better if you stuck around.”

You broke down into giggles.  “Alright, alright.  I guess another time might be okay.”

He chuckled and leaned down and kissed you.  He wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve you, but he was definitely holding on to you now he’d found you.


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @star-spangled-bingo - Silly Giggly Sex

Bucky sat watching you serve the last few customers before your shift ended.  He sipped his coffee slowly, really savoring the way the sweet and bitter flavors of his salted caramel latte complimented each other.  It didn’t matter how many coffees you’d made him - and you had made him a lot - he still couldn’t get over how much he enjoyed them.  He still enjoyed being in The Grind House.  He would still come in most days to play a game and have lunch.  It had always been the place he never knew he needed.  The special little corner of the city where he had never once felt out of place or unwanted.  Where he could relax and warm up.  Where he had found you.

“Daddy, it’s your go.”

Stevie’s voice shook him out of his daydream and he turned back to the game of Uno.  Well, Uno Junior more specifically.  A lot of time had passed since the day he’d first walked into The Grind House to get out of the cold.  Eight years to be exact.  Since then so much had happened.  You’d moved in together after a year of dating.  Married about eight months after that.  Steve had designed the wedding invitations, just like he had joked about all those years ago.  You had two kids, Stevie who was five and Rebecca who was three.  Coming into The Grind House had changed his whole life.  It had given him back a life.  It had helped him find out who he was after the things that had happened to him in HYDRA. It had given him a lover, a wife, a family.  All because he was too cold one day and it’s fireplace had looked appealing.  It would always be his special place.

“I’m gonna play a green tiger.”  He said putting the card down on top of the green zebra already on the pile.

“Mommy!”  Stevie yelled.  “It’s your go!”

You laughed.  God, he still loved how completely full of joy you looked when you laughed.  “Okay, honey.  I’ll just be a minute.”  You called back from over the espresso machine.

Bucky chuckled and wiped his daughter’s face.  Becca was now covered in cream from her hot chocolate and looked like she was in the middle of an intense sugar high.  He was happy.  Really happy and he had been for years now.  He’d sometimes wonder how he wasn’t used to the feeling, but then, he never got used to the misery of being trapped in HYDRA, maybe it made sense that the opposite would be true too.

You came over and sat down beside him, leaning and kissing him gently.  Rebecca pushed her.  “No kissing, mommy.”  She grumbled.

“No?  Not for anyone?”  You said and blew a raspberry on her neck.  Rebecca squealed and giggled, squirming in her seat.

“You done?”  Bucky asked.

“Yep, I’m all yours.”  You agreed, putting down a red tiger on the green one.  “Uno.”

Stevie scowled at his cards and picked one up.

“Uh oh, buddy.  I think Mommy might win.”  Bucky said picking up a card too.

You smirked and put the draw four down on the pile.

“Mommy!”  Stevie whined.

“I know, buddy.  Next time for sure.”  You said and kissed the top of his head.  “Let’s get you home.”

Stevie pouted and nodded his head as you and Bucky cleaned off the table.  You put Rebecca into her stroller and Bucky picked up Stevie.  It wasn’t a long walk home and it was a nice night.  Both kids were asleep by the time you got home.

“Good thing we fed them at the coffee shop.”  You said, carefully getting Rebecca out of the stroller.

“I’m a smart guy.”  Bucky teased.  “I thought you’d have realized that by now.”

You giggled and patted his ass as you passed him on the way to Becca’s bedroom.  “Keep telling yourself that, honey.”

Bucky chuckled and went and tucked Stevie into bed.  When he was sure the little boy was settled he kissed his brow and turned out the light, coming down to the kitchen.  You were already in the kitchen cooking when he came out.  “How were you faster than me?”  He asked coming up behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist.  You leaned back against his without stopping what you were doing and he nuzzled into your neck.  You still smelled like coffee and sugar and he took a deep breath in.

“You should know I have the magic touch.”  You teased.

“Mm-hmm.”  Bucky hummed.  “You used it on me from the start, didn’t you?”

You laughed softly and he started kissing your neck.  Slowly.  Taking his time to tease your skin with his breath first, before his lips even touched on it.  “I most definitely did.”  You said tilting your head slightly.  “You using your magic touch on me now?”

“No,”  He said, sliding his hand down your stomach and along your hips, tracing the curves of your body.  It had changed since he met you.  Eight years and two kids did that to a person.  It was still as sexy as the day he’d met you.  He knew it back to front.  Every curve, every line, every scar.  He loved it all.  “I can if you like though.”

You giggled and turned your head nuzzling into his hair.  “What are you trying to do?”

He sucked on your throat, swirling his tongue over your skin and started to bunch your skirt up.  “Magic fingers, darlin’,”  He said.  “You know you want them.”

His fingers slipped into your panties and he began to finger your clit.  You laughed softly and put your hand on top of his.  “You’re really doing this right here?”

He chuckled.  “Was that a no?”

You turned in his arms and wrapped your arms around his neck.  “It was a take me now, you stud.” 

Bucky started laughing and leaned in and kissed you, pulling you tighter against him.  You ran your hands through his hair.  It made his skin prickle and he moaned quietly against your lips.  His hands moved to your ass and down to your thighs.  He lifted you, making you squeak and wrap your legs around him as he put you on the countertop.

“Bucky!”

“What?”  He teased grinding against you, his cock hardening in his pants.  “Am I doing it wrong?”

You made a sound, half laughter, half moan.  It was a sound that turned him on more than either noise would have made on its own.  He kissed along your collarbone and ground his hips harder.  A canister that had once contained pasta but thankfully was now empty tipped over and rolled off the counter, clattering on the floor.  The sound made you both laugh but neither of you stopped.  Even after all these years, he wanted you desperately.

You kissed his neck and scrambled to unfasten his pants.  It was like you had forgotten how belts worked because nothing you did seemed to actually do anything to open his pants.  He brushed your hands away and unfastened his pants, pulling his cock out.  You wrapped a hand around it and began to slowly jerk him off.

“There are days where it really strikes me how good it feels that we’re still like this.”  You whispered against his ear.  “That you still look at me like you think I’m fae or something.”

Bucky groaned and his cock jumped in your hand.  He leaned forward and rested his forehead against yours.

“You know how much I love you, Bucky?”  You whispered.  He shook his head a small amount though he did know the answer, it was the same every time.  “A whole hell of a lot.”

He groaned again and pushed your panties to the side, lining himself up to your cunt and thrusting deep inside.  You moaned and braced your hands on the cabinet above you.  Each time he thrust into you, your hand banged on the cabinet, shaking the plates and glasses inside.  “Fuck.  Fuck.  Fuck.”  You gasped, as you tried to find purchase.

Bucky laughed and bit your bottom lip.  “Shh… the kids.”  He purred.

You started giggling and wrapped yourself around him pulling him tight into you.  “Kiss me.”  You said.

He complied willingly.  Hungrily.  His lips moving with yours, muffling your moans and he thrust deep into you.

There was a hiss of steam as water bubbled over in the pot and as you both broke down into laughter Bucky reached over and turned the heat off, never once breaking the steady pace of his hips rutting into you.

As he felt your cunt start to flutter and clench he picked up his speed and brought his fingers to your clit, rubbing it in tight circles.  You arched your back and groaned, banging your head on the cabinet.

“Oh, baby,”  Bucky said touching the back of your head.

You giggled and shook your head.  “It’s okay, just keep going.  I’m close.”

He kissed your neck and fucked you hard and deep.  Your cunt clenched, squeezing his cock and you bit into his shoulder as you came.  It milked him, sending a hot current into his gut and making his balls tighten.  With one last thrust, he came.

The two of you stayed like that, him inside of you.  His forehead resting on yours.  Panting, so that each breath in, was a mingling of the breath you’d both let out.  He pecked your lips and slipped out of you.  “I still don’t know what I did to deserve you.”  He said as he helped you off the counter.

You smirked up at him.  “Won me in a game of chess from memory.”

He pressed a kiss to your forehead.  “So it was skill then?  Here I was thinking I was just lucky.”


End file.
